Motor-vehicle.



E. G. SCHLEICHER.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1917- I 00 m. mm. 1 Inn m. 2 u! V04 v nZ s Mn 0 r. J m m m r m m H $513 1Z2 awe 61424 1 E. G. SCHLEICHER.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION- FILED JAN. s. 1917.

Patented May 21,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 vweM/roz Mm 10m; Git Z Zez'der EDWARD G. SOHLEICHER, 0F STAMFORD,

Application filed January 3, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD G. SOHLEI- CHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stamford, in the county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a motor vehicle in which the rear wheels are connected to a motor by a belt drive, the object of the invention being to provide tensioning de vices coacting with the belts and automatically operated simultaneously with the horizontal oscillation of the forward wheels.

The invention is designed to provide simple and efficient means operated by the rotation of the steering stem for moving a num-- ber of the tension devices out of action, to permit variable or differential rotation of the rear driving wheels when turning corneri or steering the vehicle from a straight pat The invention also includes two pairs of rear driving wheels, one pair being in advance and out of alinement with the other pair, to give increased traction and at the same time eliminate skidding of the drive wheels. 4

Another object of the invention is to provide the driving shaft with a plurality of pulleys of different diameters connected by belts with a countershaft, and a rock lever coacting with the belts for varying the speed of the counter shaft which is connected by belt devices with the rear wheels. The invention also provides a transmission shaft having a number of belt connections with the counter shaft and sliding clutch members mounted on the shaft for engagement with one or the other of the pulleys to reverse the rotation of the rear driving wheels, without reversing the counter shaft.

Another object of the invention is, to provide the rear axles with drums of smaller diameter than the wheels, so that when the vehicle is traveling on soft muddy ground or snow, the drums which are driven at the same speed as the driving wheels will engage the ground to, give increased traction. Tubular connections between the exhaust of the motor and the drums" are adapted to heat the drums to melt the snow in contact with the drums.

The novel combinations of the invention are more fully described the following Specification of Letters Patent.

CONNECTICUT.

MOTOBFVYEHIGLE.

I Patented May 211, 1918.

Serial No. 140,352.

specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a motor car embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the variable speed belt tensioning devices.

Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation of the driving belt tensioning devices.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view same.

Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the drums.

In these drawings the letter a designates the frame or chassis of a car and b are the forward wheels. Springs 0 are connected at the forward and rear portions of the chassis in the usual way. The rear portion of the vehicle is provided with a pair of axles 0 and 0 each having mounted thereon a plurality of sleeves e carrying the wheels f and g, one being secured at each end of the respective sleeves. The wheels 7 are slightly in the rear and inside or out of line with the other pair to constitute an auXi iary drive for the vehicle. Pulleys h and i are fixed to the said sleeves and connected by means of belts j of the audit to pulleys m and n secured to a transverse transmission shaft 0. As shown there is a belt connection for each wheel so that when the invention is used in combination with a heavy motor truck, it will give a powerful drive to the rear wheels.

The transmission shaft has loosely mounted thereon a number of pulleys g9 and Q having belt connections 1' and s with pulleys t and a respectively secured to a counter shaft 1;. A pair of clutches 10 and 11 are slidingly mounted on the transmission shaft. These clutches are connected by bell crank levers 12, and rod 13 to a pair of foot levers l t for operating the clutches. When the clutch 11 is in engagement with the pulley p as indicated in Fig. 2, it reverses the rotation of the transmission shaft and the rear wheels to move the motor truck backward. Consequently, when it is desired to have the vehicle travel forward, the clutch 11 is moved out ofengagement as indicated in Fig. 5, and the clutch 10 slid into engagement with the pulley g thus transmitting the motion of the counter shaft to the belt 8 thereby reversing the transmission sha and the vehicle will travel ahead, The belts s and 1* pass around idler pulleys 15 swingingly mounted on levers 16 each coacting with adjusting idler pulley against its belt.

The tensioning devices belts include, bell cranl; each carryingat one end belts, to hold them taut. A rod 22 is connected to each of the bell crank leversand the forward portion of .each rod is hook shaped'to cooperate with a cam23 carried on the lower end of a stem Qiprovided with steering wheel 25 within reach of the chauffeur to operate the stem. The steeringrstem is also connected to the forward wheels in the usual manner. When the'steerin'g'wheel is rotated in one direction it oscillates the cam to move one or the other of the'rods 22, to swing a pair of'therollers 20 or 21" out of action. This slackens the pair of belts on one side and the driving wheels h and g on that particular side can rotate faster or slower than the wheels'on the other side to allow the vehicle to travel in a curved or angular path. The steering mechanism connected to the forward wheels as indicated in Fig: 2 will actuate the steering wheels simultaneously with the movement of either. rod 22 for throwing a pair ofthe driving belts out of action. I

The means for varying the speed of the rear driving wheels consists of a' pair of pulleys 26 secured to the counter shaft. These pulleys are connected by belts 27 to pulleys 28 of different diameters fixed'toa driving shaft 29 operated by a motor 30. Mounted on a frame at 31,;are a pair of rock levers 32 each provided with an idler roller 33 and a wedge shaped cam. 3a to coact at times with a lever 35 controlled by thechaufleur. When the lever isin its neutral position as shown in Fig I, both of the rock levers will be out of engagement with the belts. 27 and the vehicle will stop.

' Whenit is desired to go ahead the lever 35 belt.

, spond. with the rotation of .the drums,

is swung backer forward so that one of the rock levers will be actuatedto tension the Either one of the rock levers. can swing into action to vary the speed of the vehicle. v i i v At the rear portion of the vehiclebetween the frames are arranged a number of drums 36vpreferably one foreach wheel. .These drums are, mounted on the sleeves that carry the .pulleys izand 72. and,therefore, rotate whenthe, pulleys" are ,driven. The drums can rotateat differential speeds to correthe driving wheels.) A pipe 3' 7. is connectedto the exhaust. 38 of the motor. This pipe leads the hot. gasesfrom the eXh'aust by means of branch pipes or nozzles 39 into the ends ,of so that, the gheat radiated the drums will dry any moisture on the ground for the' driving levers 1 8 and a p'a'irof idler rollers 20 and 21 for normally engaging the in contact with the drums and pack any dry snow to give better traction to the vehicle on" srfpper 'gi-eunds It will be seen that when the invention is employed with a vehicle having a gear transmission drive the belts is could be omitted and the auxiliary driven-ea in connection with the transmission; 1

I claim:

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a pair of rear" axles, ofa pair-' of wheels mounted on each ofthe. axles one pair being in advance and outof alinement with the other pair; =belts connected i toeaeh of the axles for actuating? the wheels,v a pair of frontwheels; means for steering the latter wheels, and tensioning devices including levers each having anumber of idler'rollers eachpairf of-whichis indepen d entlyoperated bvthe steering means for engagementwith the .belts- 2; In a motor vehicle the combination with afpa ir of rear axles,ofapair of wheels mounte'd 'on each of the axles one pair being inedvance and outlof alinement with the other pair; a pair of belts connected to each ofthe axles for actuating the wheels, a pair of front wheels, means for steering the latter wheels; tensioning devices including-J levers eachhaving a number of idlerrollers each pair of which is independently connected to the steering means for engagement with the belts, andmeans operated by the steeringmeans fonmovingone or the other ofthetensioning devices outpf action. f

In a motor vehicle the combination with a pair of rear axles, of apair of wheels mounted on each of the axles one pair being in advance and out of alinement with the otherpair; a pair of belts connected to each of the axles one being-opposite the other for-actuatingthe wheels, a pair of front wheels, means for steering thelatter wheels, tensioning devices including apair oflevers each carrying a pair of idler rollers connected to the steering means for engagement with the belts, and means operated by thesteering means for moving one or the other ,ofthe tensioning devices out; of actionto slacken the belts on one side of 115 the vehicle. I

4. In a, motor vehicle the combination with a pair of rear axles, of a pair of wheels mounted on each of the axles one pair being in advance and out. of alinement with 120 the other pair; a pair of belts connected to each of the axle's one beingoppo site the other for actuating the wheels, a pair of front wheels, means for steering the latter wheels, tensioning devices including a roller 125 ,coacting wi'th each belt, and a rod operated by the. steering means for moving a, pairof the rollers out of action to slacken the belts onv one side of the vehicle. y 1

5. In a motor vehicle the combination 130 10 operated by the steering means for moving either pair of the rollers out of action to slacken the belts on one side of the vehicle.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD G. SGHLEIGHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. BERes'rRoM, GRACE DE Von.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. G. 

